Car-coupling



v Q -UNITED lfSTI-ITES- PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM II. MooEEs AND ERNEST EIcI-IELL, oF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

CAR-COURLING;

SPECIFICATION forming perfor Letters Patent No. 526,840, aerea october 2,1894.

Application Aiea 'Merch 31, 189A.- serial Ne. 505,851. (No model.)

To'aZZ-whom it may concern-f andERNESTA. RICELL, citizens of theUnited States, residing atBuffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Oar-Couplin'gs,of

which the following is a' speciiication.

This invention relates to the classof automatic car couplings having' a horizontally swinging coupling jaw which is held inits closed or coupled position by a lock with which is combined a shifting device or kicken whereby the coupling jaw is thrown into its open position inthe act of operating the lock for releasing the jaw. y

Our invention has for its principal object to construct a reliable car coupling of this character'which is free from partsl that areliable to bind and interfere with the proper and easy operation of the coupler, and which can be manufactured at a minimum cost.

Another object of our invention is to l strengthen the coupling jaw and the lugs of the 'drawhead to which it is pivoted.

In the accompanying drawings consisting of two sheets: Figure lis a horizontalsection of our improved car coupling. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section thereof in line 2 2, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the coupling, showing the coupling jaw in its locked position. Fig. 4t is a similar view showing the lock raised clear of the locking arm of the coupling jaw, preparatory to kicking the latter. Fig. 5 is a similar view, showing the position lof the lock after having kicked the coupling jaw and bel fore being released by its operating chain. Fig. 6. is a transverse section in line 6-'6, Fig. 8, looking rearward. Fig. 7 is a similar section in line 7-7, Fig. 3, looking forward. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the combined lock and kicker.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the severalgures.

A lis the chambered drawhead which is preferably constructed in accordance with the well known standard adopted by the Master Car Builders Association. f

B is the horizontally swinging jaw or knuci 5o kle pivoted by a Vertical pin or bolt b to the perforated lugs a of the drawhead, and having the usual locking arm b. Y

V. V I v Cris the lock which engages with the arm Be 1t known that we, WILLIAM H.MooEEs' of the coupling jaw for holding thesame in its vclosed or coupled position. This lock is arranged to move vertically in the drawhead land-is valso capable of swinging longitudinally therein, the same being mountedt upon Va transverse pivot pin d arranged in the rear .portion of the drawhead. The lock is provvvidedwith a forwardly extending retaining v'arm c which is adapted to stand in frontofk the locking arm of the coupling jaw when the latter is closed, and with a depending shifting arm Vor kicker c which is adapted to 'strike the locking arm of the jaw and throw the latter into its open position after the same is released by the retaining arm c. The lockfis formed in its upper portion with an upright slot c2, through which the pivot pin V d'passes'and which permits a sufficient vertical movement of the lock to allow its retaining arm to clear the locking arm of the coupling jaw.

e, e, represent horizontal stop pins or proj ections formed on opposite sides of the lock, above the transverse pivot pin, and entering upright guide grooves e formed in cylindrical bosses'E which project inward from the side walls of the drawhead, as shown in Figs. l and 6.

that when the lock is in its normal depressed position, the pins are located in the guide grooves and prevent the lock from swinging forward or backward, while when the lock is These stop pins are so arranged relatively to the upper sides of the bosses E' raised sufficiently to release the coupling I jaw the stop pins are outside of the guide .grooves and permit the lock to swing on its transverse pivot pin without restraint.

f is an opening formed in the bottom of the drawhead for receiving the lower end of l the shifting arm c when the lock is in its normal position, as shown Figs. 3 and 6.- The lower portion of this shifting arm is widened or formed with a lateral extension cs which is adapted to bear against the rear end of the` locking arm ofthe coupling jaw in kicking the latter. The rear end of the locking arm is curved or beveled on its rear side, as shown at b2, in Fig. 5, so that the forward movement of the shifting arm c causes said locking arm to swing in Vthesame direction and open the couplingj aw. In order to cause TOO the lock to be raised by the locking arm of the coupling jaw when the latter is moved from its open to its locked position, the lower forward edge of the retaining arm of the lock is inclined or beveled, as shown at c4 in Figs. 2 and 8, and the contiguous rear side of the arm of the coupling jaw is correspondingly beveled, as shown at b3.

G is the customary chain, whereby the lock is operated, and which is connected at it upper end to the usual actuating shaft journaled at the end of the car, which shaft is not shown in the drawings. This operating chain passes through an opening in the top of the drawhead and is attached at its lower end to a perforated ear formed on the retaining arm of the lock.

Vhen the coupling jaw is in its locked position, the lock is in its lower position and its retaining arm c projects horizontally in front of the locking arm of the coupling jaw, as shown" in Fig. 3, while the shifting arm or kicker c hangs vertically and projects with its lower portion into the opening f in the bottom of the drawhead. The lock is supported in this position by the upper end of its vertical slot resting upon the Jtransverse pivot pin d, and the lock is prevented from swinging forward or backward by the shifting arm c and also by the stop pins e, e, engaging with the guide grooves e. The lock is thus held in vits normal `position with sufcient security to prevent its swinging out of that position from the jolting of the car.

When it is desired to kick the coupling jaw to its open position, the lock is raised by means of its operating chain to the extremity of its upward movement. During the first portion of this movement, the lock rises until the retaining arm c releases the coupling jaw and the lower end of its slot comes in contact with the transverse pivot pin d, when the continued upward pull on the retaining arm causes the latter to swing upwardly and rearwardly and the shifting arm to swing forwardly, as shown in Fig. 5, thereby causing the shifting arm to strike the locking aim of the coupling jaw and swinging the latter to its open position.

rPhe slot of the lock is made so long that its lower end does not arrest the 'upward movement of the lock until the retaining arm has fully cleared the locking arm of the coupling jaw, while the shifting arm is made of such a length that its lower end iswithdrawn from the bottom opening of the drawhead by the time that the lower end of the slot in the lock comes in contact with the transverse pivot pin. In kicking the coupling jaw, the

lock swings upon the lower end of its slot as a fulcrum, and the forwardly-projecting retaining arm of the lock serves, in addition to its function as a locking device, as an operating arm for the lock.

During the upward movement of the lock, its stop pins e, e, tend to bind against the rear walls of the guide grooves e', owingto the tendency of the retaining arm c to swing upward, but as the lower frontside of the shifting arm c bears against the front wall of the opening in the bottom of the drawhead during the vertical movement of the lock, the stop pins are prevented from restraining the movement of the lock. The bottom opening of the drawhead, while serving as a stop or abutment for the shifting arm, also provides an outlet for any water, cinders, or dirt that may enter the dra whead.

When the coupling jaw is moved from its open to its closed position, the beveled rear end of its locking arm, striking the corresponding face of the retaining arm yof* the lock, lifts the latter until it has passedit, when the lock descends to its normal position by gravity and automatically locks the coupling jaw.

The construction of the locking and kick-` or cavities h which open into the bore, and` the openings in the lugs of the drawhead are provided with similarrecesses v5. By thus recessin g these parts the met-al left betweenthe recesses is comparatively thin, enabling 1t to be thoroughly annealed and rendering the wearing faces of the jaw and the perforated lugs of the drawhead stronger `and more durable. The wearin g faces of the parts are also reduced in area by this construction, thus lessening the friction. If desired, the recesses or cavities may be filled with plumbago or similar material j for lubricating the parts and facilitating the movements of the coupling jaw.

We claim as our invention- 1. The combination with the drawhead and the swinging coupling jaw, of a vertically movable lock having a slot, a retaining arm adapted to engage with the coupling jaw and a shifting arm adapted to strike the coupling jaw for opening it, a pivot pin passing through said slot, and a stop whereby the lock is held from swinging on said pivot pin during itsV IOO IIO

:ravnged on the lock and sliding in the upright 'guide of the drawhead, substantially as set V forth.

v The combination with the drawhead havlng; internal cylindrical bosses provided with upright guide grooves, and a stop arranged ein the bottom of the drawhead, of the couplin-.g jaw, and a pivoted depending lock capable of moving vertically in lthe drawhead and having pins or projections arranged to slide in the grooves of said bosses, a retaining arm adlapted to engage with the coupling jaw, and a depending shifting arm adapted to bear against the stop in the bottom of the drawhfead during the vertical movement of the lock, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination T fitn thedrawnead having upright guide-grooves in its sides and an opening in its bottom, of a conplingjaw, a pivoted, depending' lock capable of vertical movement in the d ra'whead and having` a retaining` farm adapted to interlock with the coupling jaw, a depending shifting arm adapted to engage with the bottom opening of the drawhead, and lateral stop 'pins arranged in said guide grooves, substantially as set forth.

Witness our hands this 26th day of March,

WILLIAM-H. MOOERS. ERNEST A. RICHELL. Witnesses:

CARL F. GEYER, ELLA R. DEAN. 

